ON SUNDAY, November 11 the nation commemorates the centenary of the end of the First World War.

Prior to the Remembrance Day service there will be two tributes of remembrance in the centre of Almondsbury.

On Sunday, October 21 ten clear silhouette figures will be positioned in St Mary’s church.

These ‘There But Not There’ figures are specially designed and distributed by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.

The figures will provide a focal point and a poignant reminder of the men who gave their lives in the Great War and the families who lost their loved ones.

The figures will remain in the church until December 3.

Secondly, immediately prior to November 11 the grass triangle in front of the church will be planted with a large number of poppies. These have been made and painted by a volunteer group in the village.

The pupils of Almondsbury C of E Primary School will also be contributing the poppies they have made.

Two memorials in St Mary’s church throw some light on the impact of the war on the local population.

The Roll of Honour records the names of 281 men from Almondsbury and the local area who fought in the Great War and identifies 40 who were killed.

111 Almondsbury village men who fought are identified in a specific area of The Roll of Honour and the 24 who were killed identified by a red cross against their names. There is also a wooden memorial plaque on the wall near The Roll of Honour.

In the churchyard there are five Commonwealth War Graves, three from the Great War period, one from 1919 and one from 1920.

The village War Memorial Cross is situated at the top of Sundays Hill at the junction with Over Lane. The memorial was commissioned by Mrs Chester Master in 1919.

Damaged by a bomb in WWII, the memorial was later repaired. Next to the memorial is a special marker and if you have a QR code reader on your mobile it will link you to a website with information about the soldiers named on the memorial.

As the centenary approaches why not visit the church, the graveyard and the War Memorial to view the permanent reminders in Almondsbury of the Great War and the part played by local men and their families?

The Café Almondsbury coffee corner runs from 09.00 – 11.30 in the church on Monday mornings during term time. Drop in if you are viewing the Almondsbury memorials, or just drop in!

John Stennard

On behalf of AVE (Almondsbury Village Events)